I checked through my records, and the seller of the lobster I purchased for my father in law gave some insight into the limited numbers of commercially made lobsters around after WWII (he was a relative of the maker). Several firms got into making clasp knives for the British military during the war, including a furniture firm Stephenson and Wilson where Harry Billard worked. After the war the company turned to making civilian knives, initially including a late 40's lobster pattern which was engine turned, which did not sell well because of the post war economic downturn (lobsters that are hand assembled are trickier to assemble, and more expensive to the buyer). It was suggested to Mr. Harry that Stephenson and Wilson focus on simpler more utilitarian designs, with which the company was able to keep going until the early part of this century. They were the makers of the tiny 2 blades key ring advertising knives given away by many companies in the UK, occasionally seen in the states marked "Guinness". It was also mentioned that Stan Shaw was making the pattern post war, but mostly for collectors (they seem to have been on the same street at some point).
